The field started with 128 men and 120 of them have gone quietly, leaving just eight men in contention for the year’s final Grand Slam title.
The usual suspects are there, but there is one notable absence from the line-up – Roger Federer, who for the first time since 2003 will not be represented in the final eight at Flushing Meadows.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are very close to what would be their first showdown in a Grand Slam final since last year’s epic Australian Open decider, won by Djokovic in the early hours of the morning.
Andy Murray is the man who can stop that happening. But to reach the semi-finals, where Djokovic could potentially await, he would have to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka, who has already gotten the better of him in Monte Carlo this year and at the US Open three years ago.
That remains the last time Murray failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final; he has since gone eleven consecutive Grand Slams without a miss.
Here is the full preview of what to watch out for in each of the men’s quarter-finals.
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Mikhail Youzhny (21)
Head-to-head: Djokovic 5-3
Last meeting: Djokovic 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, second round, 2013 Monte Carlo Masters
Rafael Nadal might be the favourite for the title right now, but if there’s one man who deserves it more than most, it’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
The 2011 champion is now into his 18th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final and is ready to take on his next challenge in Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny, who ended the brave run of Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round.
Djokovic has so far dismantled Ricardas Berankis, Benjamin Becker, Joao Sousa and Marcel Granollers without any relative difficulty.
And whilst this is the first seed he will face in his quest to add title number two to his 2011 triumph here, the Serb should have no problem trying to reach what should be his 14th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final and possibly fourth at Flushing Meadows.
Key: To knock off Djokovic, Youzhny will have to repeat what he did against Lleyton Hewitt in the preceding round, and play his shots to great effect.
Prediction: Djokovic in straight sets.
Andy Murray (3) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (9)
Head-to-head: Murray 8-5
Last meeting: Wawrinka 6-1, 6-2, third round, 2013 Monte Carlo Masters
If ever Andy Murray needs a challenge in his US Open title defence, it’s right here, right now.
The Scot, whose victory at Flushing Meadows last year ended a 76-year Grand Slam drought for British men, faces Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals for another shot at Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
As has already been mentioned, Wawrinka is the last man to beat Murray before the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, that coming here three years ago.
The Swiss also beat Murray heavily in their last meeting in Monte Carlo five months ago, which could make this match very interesting.
Murray has been challenged in his title defence and this will be just another one. Can Wawrinka notch up another win over Murray or will the Scot march his way to another title?
Key: Murray did not do well against Wawrinka in their last meeting because it was on clay – a surface the Scot has had limited success on. On hard court, he should fare better.
Prediction: Murray in four sets.
Richard Gasquet (8) vs. David Ferrer (4)
Head-to-head: Ferrer 8-1
Last meeting: Ferrer 7-5, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, fourth round, 2012 US Open
The long, frustrating wait for a second Grand Slam quarter-final has finally come to an end for French journeyman Richard Gasquet.
Following a run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2007, his whole world turned upside down when he was suspended in 2009 over allegations of cocaine use, something which he strongly denied at the time.
Those allegations and a series of niggling injuries conspired for Gasquet to drop from a career high No. 7 in the world down to 68 by May 2010.
But now Gasquet, currently the French No. 2 behind Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, finds himself in his second Grand Slam quarter-final, first at the US Open and first since Wimbledon in 2007.
He faces Spanish nemesis David Ferrer, who holds a dominant 8-1 record against him, including here at the US Open and at the Australian Open last year.
Ferrer is playing like his tennis career depends on it, having now reached his eighth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final and looking the goods as he seeks to reach another championship match to follow his run to the French Open final in June.
He is belying his age of 31 to play the best tennis of his career and Gasquet might find that too tough to overcome.
Key: Ferrer’s experience, dominant record against Gasquet and ranking will be what counts here.
Prediction: Ferrer in four sets.
Tommy Robredo (19) vs. Rafael Nadal (2)
Head-to-head: Nadal 2-0
Last meeting: Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, third round, 2009 Paris Masters
For all the expectation we had of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal meeting in New York for the first time, instead we get the first all-Spanish US Open quarter-final since 2010 when Tommy Robredo and Rafael Nadal lock horns on centre court.
Robredo surprised everyone with his unexpected straight-sets victory over Federer, coming after he had lost all ten previous meetings against the Swiss dating back to 2002.
And it has taken him so many attempts to finally reach his first US Open quarter-final, but no better way than to end the jinx against the five-time champion who has now fallen so far from the top of the sport.
If he wants to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final, he’ll have to overcome a 0-6 record against Rafael Nadal – the rampaging hot favourite for the title.
Only two men – Juan Martin del Potro (2009) and Novak Djokovic (2011) – have beaten both Federer and Nadal at the same Grand Slam tournament. On both occasions, they went on to take the title here.
Can Tommy Robredo join that select group, or will he find Nadal too good for him once again?
Key: Nadal has yet to lose serve as he seeks a second title at Flushing Meadows to complement the one he won three years ago. Watch out, Tommy.
Prediction: Nadal in straight sets.
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